The present invention relates generally to the field of network-based telephone systems, and more specifically to the problems of interaction between a caller and a network-based telephone system, accessing data from external systems, and providing data to a service agent.
The '240 application and '480 patent describe a system and method for creating customized telecommunication services and instantiating and maintaining the services in a call processing network. The system includes a Service Provisioning and Creation Environment (SPACE.RTM., a registered trademark of Bellcore) application, which creates call processing records (CPRs). CPRs define how a received telephone call is processed for a particular customer. The CPRs are transferred to service control points (SCPs) to implement the services.
Switches in the network needing information to process a call send queries to the SCPs. A Multi-Services Application Platform (MSAP) in the SCP accesses a CPR based on a "key" associated with the call. MSAP processes the nodes of the CPR and issues corresponding call processing instructions back to the switch. The switch routes the call based on the instructions.
While executing a CPR, the SCP may request information from the caller using certain nodes. The type of information which the SCP can request is somewhat limited, however. For example, the SCP can request the caller to insert a PIN number. This limited interaction between a caller and the SCP may be inadequate to complete the call, requiring a service agent to intervene and handle the call manually. Of course, manual call processing is typically slower and more costly than automated call processing.
Other than these inputs from a caller, MSAP cannot access information from external systems. Instead, MSAP can only access information that is available at the SCP running MSAP. Again, this information may be inadequate to properly execute the call processing.
Accordingly, it is desirable to increase the intelligence of a system for processing telephone calls.
It is also desirable to increase the flexibility in a system for processing telephone calls.
It is also desirable to provide greater interaction between a caller and a system for processing telephone calls.
It is also desirable to provide greater accessibility to information from external systems by a system for processing telephone calls.
It is also desirable to augment the existing process of directing calls to service agents.
It is also desirable to route a caller to the appropriate agent based on information about the caller.
It is also desirable to provide routing of a call to the appropriate agent while routing data associated with the call to a display terminal of the same agent.
It is also desirable to provide network reliability in routing a caller to the appropriate agent.
Additional desires of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and, in part, will be apparent from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.